


The Legend of Zelda: Seekers of Power

by NovaVandorwolf



Series: The Legend of Zelda: Bound to Destiny [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 07:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19246288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NovaVandorwolf/pseuds/NovaVandorwolf
Summary: An original fanfiction I started back in 2009.I wanted a Zelda game where Ganondorf starts off as Link and Zelda's friends. After no sign of this happening, I decided to just make a fanfic of it. I never did get around to finishing it, but had 3 full stories planned for this LoZ AU. Now that BOTW2 may contain a "good" Ganon, I was inspired to actually finish this story.Seekers of Power follows Link on his journey to help his friends, Zelda and Ganondorf, find the fabled Triforce. What started as a fun quest that they thought impossible to fulfill, soon becomes a nightmarish journey that they were destined to travel.





	1. The Valley

~Mission One: The Dragon’s Scale~

The desert was quite different from how he imagined it. Though, Link had been told many stories about the heat, experiencing it in person was entirely different. How any person survived in this place was beyond him. Even breathing was a challenge. The air itself felt like fire racing down his throat. 

Link pulled off his hat. His dirty blonde hair was damp with sweat after only a few minutes of being in the Gerudo Valley desert. He found himself wishing that he was back at home in the Kokiri Forest where it was cooler and the air always felt crisp, pleasantly tingling his throat with each breath. 

Pushing his discomfort away, Link pressed on. He had an important mission and there was no way he was about to let the elements defeat him. If he failed, his friends back home would treat him like an outsider again and that was the last thing Link wanted. 

He trudged forward in the sand, feeling the muscles in his legs burn with every step. This journey had been the longest one he had ever been on. His body was growing weak, but that only served to increase his determination. 

"Link. Turn back?"

He looked up at the fairy that was following him. She had a concerned look on her face, which was unusual for the creature.

Link shook his head and forced a smile. The fairy, Alura, watched him for a moment so he forced his grin as far as he could. She sighed and flew around his head, leaving a trail of light in her wake. The green residue reminded him of the forest.

There was no vegetation here. All that was visible were fields of sand. The vastness of the desert made Link feel insignificant and the lack of life brought about a sense of loneliness. It was then that he decided he disliked the Gerudo Valley. 

"Link, trouble!" Alura shouted and pointed into the distance. 

He followed her finger and peered ahead. There was a cloud of sand rushing toward them. His eyes widened in horror. He had heard rumours about walls of sand, driven forward by the wind like a ship’s sail. There was nowhere for them to hide from the deadly sandstorm. 

Alura flew into his chest, clutching his green tunic tightly. He placed his hand over her. Even if the sand swallowed him, he would do his best to protect her. 

"Hey! You!" 

Link turned. 

There was a horse rushing towards them. On the mare’s bareback, was a woman. She had her hand extended and an urgent look on her face. 

"Take my hand!" she ordered and he reached for her. 

The woman grabbed his wrist, clamping down on it so tightly that Link thought she might crush his bones. Though, her tight grasp hurt, Link was grateful for her strength because, with one swift motion, he was lift off his feet. He gritted his teeth together as he was pulled up, towards the horse’s back. His arm felt like it was being slowly torn off. 

The woman reached for his other hand. 

Link grabbed her wrist and was hoisted onto the horse. 

"Hold on tight," she said and he put his arms around her naked waist. Her skin felt just as hot as the desert sand. He glanced up at her, trying to see her face, but her long red hair blocked his view as it was tussled rapidly by the wind. Instead, he looked behind him to the sandstorm. It was getting closer. There was no way the horse would be able to outrun it. 

As if the woman could feel his worry, she said, "We're almost there." 

Link looked around. Almost where? There was nothing in sight.

The horse suddenly turned, nearly causing Link to swing off her back. He tightened his grip around the woman's torso. 

They were running up a dune and the horse's pace was slowing.

"Come on, old girl. You can do it," the woman whispered and the horse let out a snort. The mare reached the top and they stopped. 

Just below the dune was large gorge. It seemed to stretch on forever in either direction, fading into the horizon. It was fairly wide as well, which made Link wonder where they were going. There was no way a horse could jump a distance that large and the gorge was deep. Plenty deep enough to kill them, should they fall into it. The stone walls slanted in a sharp slope for what appeared to be hundreds of feet.   
   
The horse started running again. 

Link finally noticed the bridge that stretched out over the gorge. It looked old. The ropes that suspended it over the canyon were weathered and beginning to fray in places. The planks were rotting and a couple of them were broken, which made it clear that this bridge was dangerously unstable. Yet, it was the bridge that the horse was running towards. 

There was already a change in temperature due to the river at the bottom of the gorge. A cool breeze rushed out of the canyon and Link closed his eyes, welcoming the wind. He could smell the water and he finally realized just how parched his throat was. 

The mare ran over the bridge without hesitation. Her feet seemed to know exactly where to step because she skipped over all of the broken planks. Only when she reached the other side did she slow. 

"Good girl," the woman said and patted the horse on the shoulder. They stopped and she turned. "Watch this."

Link looked behind and saw the wall of sand hurtling toward them. He wondered why they were watching instead of fleeing, but his saviour was calm so he would trust that they were safe.

The sand reached the gorge and it was as though it had struck an invisible wall. It just stopped.

No, Link realized. It was the wind. It was forcing the sand up into the sky. Then it fell onto the dune that the mare had climbed up minutes before.

"This valley is protected by the Goddess, Farore. No sandstorm has ever been able to pass her wind barrier," the woman explained and slid off the horse. She looked up at him and he found himself staring into her eyes. They were unlike anything he had seen before. They seemed to shine like the sun.

"Now, boy. Who are you and what are you doing in this desert?" she demanded, her voice as sharp as the blade at her side. 

Alura flew off of Link's tunic and the woman blinked. Clearly, she was surprised to see a fairy.

"Link is Kokiri!" she yelled and he held out his hand. The fairy flew onto his palm and glared at the woman.

"Kokiri? One of the forest children? What are you doing all the way out here?" 

"Come on mission," Alura answered.

"Why don't you let the boy speak for himself?" the woman asked and the fairy fluttered her wings.

Link smiled. He knew that she only did that when she was annoyed.

"Link doesn't talk," the fairy replied.

The woman looked at him, surprised for a moment, then her eyes softened. 

"Oh. You are mute," she thought out loud and frowned.

He shifted uncomfortably. 

"I am Nabooru," she said and walked to the mare. She touched the horse’s face and whispered something into her ear. The horse started to walk away.

"Come, boy. You are probably thirsty after your journey," she said and led him away from the bridge.


	2. The Gerudo King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nabooru takes Link to see the Gerudo King, but he's not quite what Link was expecting.

The fortress of Gerudo Valley was more bearable than the desert. There was a breeze that subdued the sun's heat, which Nabooru insisted was the Goddess of the Wind’s blessing upon them. 

Link had heard tales of the three Goddess that supposedly created Hyrule, but he doubted such entities existed. If there were truly Goddesses protecting the people that lived in this country then where were they when he was in danger? There had been no one watching over him when he needed it, but now he had Alura. So as far as he was concerned, the fairy was his goddess. 

Alura was hiding inside Link's tunic. Only her head and the tips of her wings were visible at the collar. Fairies were rare creatures outside of Kokiri Forest so Nabooru had told her to hide, which would limit the amount of attention they would draw. Though, it really made no difference. Link, himself, was drawing enough attention for the both of them. 

The Gerudo race consisted entirely of women, except for the one male who was their king. It was him that they were going to see. 

Link was nervous. He had never been in the presence of royalty before and he wondered what a king would look like. He was probably a fearsome man dressed in clothes that were decorated in jewels and brocade. He’d have an air of arrogance about him and a grand weapon that would make Link’s rusted sword look like a toy. 

The more he thought about the king, the more elaborate the man became. Link grew self-conscious about his own clothing. A tattered tunic seemed like inappropriate attire to wear in the presence of a king.

The palace that they entered was surprisingly plain. It looked like the sand from the desert had been packed together and hardened to form the structure. The entrance was just a rectangular hole in the compacted clay. Link wondered if they had an opposition to doors or just had no materials to make them out of. 

Two women, who looked similar to Nabooru, were standing by the entranceway, holding long spears in their hands. They glared suspiciously at Link, but allowed him passage behind Nabooru, whom they greeted with slight bows. 

The inside of the fortress was surprisingly cool. Immediately, Link felt more comfortable to be out of the sun’s scorching heat and the breeze seemed to flow all the way down the corridor.

Nabooru grabbed a torch from a bracket on the wall and motioned to the stairway at the end of the hall. It was lined with similar torches, flickering firelight guiding the way. The moving shadows made the stairwell look ominous.

"This way," she instructed and they walked in silence. 

Alura forced her way out of Link's shirt and let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally," she muttered, flapping her wings. "Stuffy in there."

"I almost forgot you were in there, little fairy," Nabooru chuckled and glanced back. Her smile fell and she stared at the creature. In the darker light, it was possible to see Alura's true physical form instead of the usual ball of light with a pair of wings. 

"Beautiful," Nabooru whispered, reaching out to touch Alura. 

The fairy hurried out of reach, growling, "Not for touching.” She folded her arms across her chest, pouting. 

"I'm sorry. I just... didn't expect you to look so..."

"Hylian?" Alura finished and Nabooru nodded.

Link touched his pointed ears. He had noticed that no one in Gerudo Valley had them and wondered if that meant that they were maybe not originally from Hyrule. 

Nabooru cleared her throat and turned back around. "Never mind. Come, we are almost there," she said and kept walking down the steps, holding the torch out in front of her.

Alura sat on Link's shoulder and fluttered her wings once again. 

They entered a large room that had dozens of torches lining the wall, temporarily blinding Link when he rounded the corner. Link blinked a couple of times, trying to get his eyes to adjust.

"My king, I have returned," Nabooru said and bowed. 

Link felt his heart begin to beat rapidly in his chest. He was about to meet a king. 

The room was filled with women. Some were bowing, heads on the ground. Some were holding water jugs and others had plates of food. All of them were facing someone seated in a clay throne. 

He had his legs over the armrest and his hands were behind his head. He looked over at Nabooru, completely bored.

Link felt his mouth open in surprise. This was it? That was the king? He looked like he was only a few years older than Link and definitely struck no fear. The king looked like he was as lazy as a cat and just as spoiled.

The Gerudo king looked behind his subject and his golden eyes became focused. He sat up, not taking his eyes off of Link. 

"Nabooru," he said, running his hand through his shaggy red hair.

"Yes, my king?"

"What is this?" he asked and put a hand on his chin. His stare was making Link uncomfortable, just as Nabooru's had.

"Link..." Alura whispered, moving closer to his neck. “Danger.”

The king of the Gerudo stood, eyes still fixed on Link. He was taller than he had appeared to be while he was sitting on his throne. Combining the surprising height and Alura's warning, a sense of apprehension crept into Link's mind.

"My liege, this is a child of the forest," Nabooru answered, her head still lowered in a deep bow.

The king made a motion with his hand and one of the women with the water jugs rushed forward. She poured the liquid into a golden cup and another woman handed it to the king without looking directly at him.

"Forest child," he spat and took a drink.

Link watched, the burning in his throat growing. His throat was so parched that it was becoming painful to swallow.

"Why have you brought her here?" the king demanded.

Alura giggled as Link's eyes narrowed. A girl? Did the king honestly think that he was a girl? He looked down at his clothing. They were the typical male clothes in Kokiri forest: brown boots, white tights, green tunic and a white undershirt. Certainly, it was evident that he was male?

The king noticed Link's glare and narrowed his eyes in response.

"My liege, I was on my way back from my mission and found this child wandering the desert. He was nearly devoured by the sandstorm. I had no option, but to bring him here," Nabooru explained, a hint of amusement in her tone.

The king continued to glare at Link, but after a moment, his eyes widened and he looked at his bowing subject.

"What?"

"His name is Link, sir," she replied with a small grin.

The king looked down at him and a large smile appeared on his face. 

"A boy? Nabooru, this is my best present yet," he exclaimed and rushed over to Link.

Alura let out a squeak and hid under Link's hat. There was a soft green glow in the fabric where she sought shelter. 

"Um, your highness? He is not a..." Nabooru began, looking up. Then she fell silent.

"My name is Ganondorf," the king said. His smile was full of warmth. "It's nice to meet you," he continued, bending down so they were eye level.

Link took a step back, uncomfortable by the close proximity, but this action seemed to offend the king. His smile vanished and an annoyed expression replaced it. He straightened and turned.

"Nabooru? What's wrong with it?" he demanded.

She bowed again, casting her eyes to the ground. “My king, he does not speak."

"Why not?" Ganondorf whined.

"I am not sure, sire," Nabooru answered calmly.

The room was silent. None of the women dared to move from the position that they were in, but all of their eyes were watching their king closely.

Ganondorf looked back at Link, folding his arms under the red cloth that was draped over his shoulders. He was frowning, which Link assumed was a horrible thing. Perhaps he was about to be sentenced to death for wasting a king's time. Maybe they would throw him into Farore's canyon and the Goddess would allow him to die.

"You don't talk?" Ganondorf asked and Link nodded. "Not a word?" he pressed and Link shook his head then wondered if he should have nodded instead.

The king sighed. There was evident disappointment on his face. He paced for a moment and rubbed his temples with his fingers as though he had a headache.

Link looked past him. His eyes focused on the woman who was holding the water vase. He desperately needed something to drink.

Ganondorf stopped and glanced at Link. "Well, even if you don't speak, you are still the first male I have met in my sixteen years. So I order you to entertain me," he said.

Link tried to nod, but as soon as he moved his head forward, his entire body started to fall. He collapsed onto the ground and felt the air leave his lungs.

Alura burst out from under Link's hat and rushed to his face. "Link! Link!" she shrieked, placing her hands on his cheek. "Up now," she begged.

Ganondorf knelt down. "Is he dead?" he asked and Nabooru hurried over to their side.

“Sire, give him some water," she instructed and he frowned at the order, but then nodded.

He extended his hand and his servants quickly provided him with a new cup of water. He waited until Nabooru turned Link over so he was on his back then pulled him into one arm so he was sitting up. Carefully, he placed the cup against Link's lips and poured water onto them.

He drank, gratefully and closed his eyes, savouring the refreshing feeling against his throat.

"Did it work?" Ganondorf asked and Link smiled to show that he was fine.

"Perhaps our traveler would like some rest?" Nabooru suggested. "His journey must have been a tiring one.”

"Kozumi," Ganondorf said and Link opened his eyes. One of the women in the room stood. She was dressed differently then the others. Instead of wearing the white pants and red shirt the others had on, she had a long skirt with an ornate brown shirt. 

"Yes, my liege?" 

"Prepare some clothes for the boy and a towel for his bath."

The woman bowed and left the room from the doorway just behind the throne. 

Link sat up on his own and looked up at the king, who was watching him with a concerned expression.

"Are you okay now?" he asked and Link nodded. 

He stood up and patted his tunic to shake off some sand that had attached itself to the fabric. There was an uneasy feeling in Link's mind as he realized that all of the golden eyes in the room were focusing on him. His face flushed with embarrassment. 

"Come on. I'll take you somewhere that you can rest up," Ganondorf said, putting his hand on Link's shoulder. 

"Hands off!" Alura shouted, flying onto the king's hand. She tried to pry his fingers away from Link, but his grip was unshakeable. She opened her mouth and bit down on the closest finger.

"Ow!" Ganondorf yelped and pulled his hand away.

Link quickly opened his hands and Alura flew into them, shaking. He held her close to his chest, wondering if she was afraid or angry. 

He looked up at Ganondorf who stared at the fairy with venom. Link hid her from his view and gave him an apologetic glance. 

"Vicious little thing," he growled. Then started walking towards the doorway.

"My liege," Nabooru spoke. 

Ganondorf stopped and looked back at her over his shoulder. 

"Do you not want to hear my report?" she asked, a little uncertain.

"It can wait," he told her and kept walking.

Link saw the hurt in her eyes. He wondered if she had feelings for her king. Nabooru's eyes met his and she smiled, motioning for him to get moving. Quickly, he caught up to Ganondorf and followed him out of the throne room. 

They walked down a dim staircase. Their footsteps echoed around them.

"Alura sorry, Link," the fairy whispered, flying onto his shoulder. 

He frowned at her, showing he was disappointed in her behavior. 

"What? Don't like king," she protested, crossing her arms and legs. She put her chin up, but glanced back at Link. His expression remained cold and she sighed. "King scary," she admitted and rubbed her hands along her arms as if to warm herself. "Smells of evil."


End file.
